Circular-knitting machine



(No Model.) 4Sheets- -Sheet 1. W. H. STEWART.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE. No. 413,101. Patented Oct. 15,1889

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. H, STEWART.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 413,101 Patented Oct. 15, 1889.

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4 Sheets-Sheet 3'.

(No Model.)

W. H. STEWART.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

Patented 001;. 15, 1889.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

W. H. STEWART.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 413,101. Patented Oct. 15, 1889.

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* UNITED STATES Parent FFlCE.

WALTER II. S'lElVAR/l, OF FRANKLIN, NEl/V HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO MORGAN RIGHT, OF NORRISTOVVN, PENNSYLVANIA.

CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 413,101, dated October 15, 1889.

Application filed January 22, 1839. Serial No. 297,155. (No model.)

To 60% whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, WVALTER H. STEWART, of Franklin, in the county of Merrimac and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circular-Knitting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

Hy-invention relates to knitting-machines of the circular class organized or equipped for the knitting of complete stockings hav ing round heels and toes; and it is an improvement on the machine shown and described in Letters Patent granted February 5, 1889, No. 397,444.

It is the object of my present invention to provide improved means for reciprocating the cam-plate in the operation of knitting heels and toes.

It is also the object of my present invention to provide means whereby the movement of the cam-plate may be automatically changed from rotary motion to reciprocating motion.

It is also the object of my present invention to provide improved means for automatically rendering inoperative a portion of the needles in the circle, as in knitting heel and toe work.

It is also the object of my present invention to provide improved means forautomatically stopping the machine at predetermined periods for the purpose of changing the yarn, or for other reasons.

It is also the object of my present invention to provide other improvements incidental to those hereinbefore mentioned.

My invention will first be described in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and then pointed out in the claims.

Of the drawings, Figure l is a top plan view of my improved knittingmachine. Figs. 1 and 1 are diagrams hereinafter more particularly referred to. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional end elevation. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of a portion of the cam-plate, showing the needleoperating cams. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. (5 is a detail view in end elevation of parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig. '7 is a sectional detail. of the clutelncollar and its adjuncts, whereby the movement of the canrplate is reversed or changed. Fig. 8 is a sectional detail of a part of the mechanism for operating the ratchet-wheels hereinafter referred to. Fig. 9 is a sectional detail view of a portion of the mechanism for stopping the machine at predetermined periods. Fig. 10 is a sectional detail taken through the needle-bed and camplate and'showing the long needles. Fig. 11 is a sectional detail, similar to Fig. 10, show ing the short needles.- Fig. 12 is a detail view designed to illustrate the manner of operating the needle-supporting and slide-mow ing chains by means of the reciprocating rackbars. Fig. 12 is a plan view of a pawl at tached to the chain-blades. Fig. 13 is a detail view designed to show the construction of the chains and attached needle depressing and raising slides. Fig. 1a is a detail view showing a portion of the means for raising the cam for operating the short needles, as when heel and toe work is being knit. Fig. 15 consists of diagrams also showing the manner of raising the cam for operating the short needles.

The same letters of reference designate the same parts in all of the views.

Reference is made to the machine shown and described in my hereinbeforennentioned patent for a full understanding of parts and features of the machine here shown, but not claimed, and hence not herein described in detail.

In the drawings, A is the base of the machine, in which are set pillars B, which support upon their upper ends the needle-bed O, which latter part or device is provided with radial grooves, in which are arranged two sets or series of needles D E, the former being what I term long needles and the latter short needles. j

F is the needle-operating cam-plate, arranged to rotate on the needle-bed, and pro vided on its outer edge or portion with gearteeth, which are engaged by the teeth of a gear G on the inner end of a shaft H, which shaft is provided with two pulleys I l turning loosely thereon, and a hand wheel J. Be-

' of said pulleys.

M is the main or driving shaft, provided with a driving-pulley N and two fast pulleys O 0, corresponding to pulleys I on shaft I-I. Pulleys may be supposed to be belted to pulleys I, one of such belts being straight and the other crossed, so that the direction in which the cam-plate F will be driven will depend upon with which pulley I the clutchcollar K is for the time being connected, it being understood of course that the rotation of the cam-plate may be stopped altogether by moving the clutch-c0llar K to a position between the pulleys I where the pins L may not engage either.

P is an arbor vertically supported in suitable bearings and provided on its upper end with a lever or an arm Q, which extends over the cam-plate and in the path of travel of a pin R in said cam-plate. The arbor P is also provided with an arm S, which at its free end engages or enters a groove in clutch-collar K. At its lower end arbor P is provided with a forked arm or finger T. With this construction it will be seen that if arbor P should be rocked in its bearings clutch-collar K would be moved on shaft H, so as to be connected with either of the pulleys I or be disconnected from both.

U are brackets connected with a stationary part of the machine, provided with ways for supporting and guiding the pawl-carrying blocks V and needle-supporting chains W, one end of which is connected with said block V and the other with the needle depressing and raising slides X. i

Y are rack-bars arranged over the brackets U, and so as to be reciprocated in bearings Z.

As explained in my aforesaid application, the needle-bed is provided with a circumfertial guideway at a point beneath the tails of the long needles, to guide the chains W and slides X, so that the chains may support the tails of said needles, or so that the slides may engage and depress or raise the said needles, as the case maybe.

a, Fig. 12, is a two-armed pawl, (shown in plan in Fig. 12%) which pawl is pivoted to the block V, and is operated upon by a spring I), so that when said pawl is moved or adjusted in a manner that will permit of one of its arms engaging the notches of the reciprocating rack-bar Y it will be maintained in such position until moved or adjusted sothat the other arm of said pawl will engage the rack-bar.

c is a bracket or support connected with the brackets U, and upon a stud d, connected with said support, is centrally fulcrumed a lever e, which lever is pivotally connected with the rack-bars Y. A lever f, Y-shaped at its inner end, is rigidly connected at its outer end with lever e at the fulcrum-point of the latter.

9 is a lever arranged beneath the lever f and fulcru'med toward its outer end on the bracket 0. Said lever g is broadened at its outer end, on the sides or ends of which broadened part are secured upwardly-projecting pieces or flanges h, with which are connected springs 1', extending rearwardly and resting on or near the end of lever f.

j are blocks connected with lever f and arranged to operate between the projecting pieces or flanges h. Both levers f and g are arranged to extend out over the cam-plate and over a ratchet-ring 70, supported upon and arranged to turn in a suitable circumferential groove or bearing in the cam-plate. It will now be seen that by moving the inner free end of lever f back and forth the rackbars'Y will be reciprocated in their bearings in opposite directions-that is, one will be moved outward when the other is being moved inward-and that by moving the inner free end of lever g in one direction the corresponding end of lever f will be moved in the opposite direction, the latter lever moving or reciprocating the rack-bars.

Zare brackets fastened to the bed of the machine and serving to hold the cam-plate in place and guide it in its rotary movement. In one of these brackets Z is arranged a vertically-movable pin m, the manner of moving which and the function of which will presently be described.

at designates a cam on the ratchet-ring 7c and extending one-half way around thereon, 0 being a similar cam arranged outside of cam n and extending a little more than halfway around on the ratchet-ring.

p is ashort cam on the ratchet-ring it, upon which cam 19 may rest a pin q, extending laterally inward from one end of a lever '1", fulcrumed on a stud s, the other end of which lever 4" is pivotally connected with the pin R, set in a hole in the cam-plate, a spiral spring i (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2) being arranged in said hole and serving to press the pin R upward when permitted so to do.

u is a bracket secured to the cam-plate k, and supporting in its outer end a verticallyarranged pin c, which is held pressed downward by a spring 20, connected at one end with the bracket u, and engaging at its other end the pin 1), as shown in Fig. 5.

w is a bracket similar to bracket 11., and supporting a pin y, which is normally held down by a spring 2. Pin 1) is arranged to travel over cam 11 and pin y over cam 0 in the rota tion of the ratchet-ring 70.

a is a lever pivoted at its inner end to the cam-plate F and having its free end extended out over the brackets Z, a spring I), coiled around the pivotal stud of said lever and having one end fastened to the latter and the other end secured to the cam-plate, serving to hold the lever in a radial position with respect to the axis of the cam-plate.

c is a pawl pivoted to lever a and held by means of a spring in engagement with the teeth of ratchet-ring is.

d designates the yarn-carrier, secured to the cam-plate, and c is a ring having a limited reciprocating movement on the cam-plate, to which ring is secured the sinker-operating cam f, which devices have the usual functions and operate in well-known ways.

2 3 i 5 6 7 designate the needle-operating cams, the long needles being projected and retracted by the cams 2 4 6 and the short needles moved in like manner by the cams 3 57. Cams 2 3 are secured to the slide g, operating radially in the cam-plate, and cams 6 7 are secured to a similar slide h, this construction and arrangement of parts being for the purpose of adjusting the cams to regulate the throw of the needles. The slides g and 71 are secured in position in the cam-plate by means of set-screws t" j, Fig. l.

designates a block which passes through bracket u, and is provided on its outer end with a rounded stud Z. This rounded stud of the block it is arranged to rest against the inner edge of the ratchet-ring 7t and t0 operate in a cam-slot m, formed by a notch made in the ratchet-ring, and a cam or, attached to the cam-plate. (See Fig. 14.) 0 designates a block, the upper end of which is pivotally connected with the inner end of block 7c,said block 0 passing down through a hole in the cam-plate and a slot in the inner end of an angular block p, to which latter device said block is pivot-ally connected, cam 5 being rigidly secured thereto. (See Fig. 15.)

Sufficient description has already been given for explanation as to how theoperationot' the cam-plate may be changed from a rotary mo tion, as when a tubular web is being knit, to a reciprocating motion, as when heel and toe work is being performed, and as to how the operation of the needles may be controlled.

The parts being in the position in which they are represented in Fig. l, the pin on is raised, (this being accomplished automatically by means to be presently dcscribed,)'the camplate continuing to revolve in the direction of the arrow, Fig. l, before, until the end of lever a strikes and passes pin in, which will result in moving ratchet-ring It around on the cam-plate the distance of one tooth of said ring. This movement of the ratchetring effects three changes, which may be described as follows: first, cam p is carried from under pin q of lever r, permitting pin R to be raised by the spring zthereunder; second, pin r, held down on the face of the ratchet-ring 70 by spring w, will be raised by cam a passing thereunder; third, the rounded end or stud Z of block is will pass out of the angular cam-slot m, formed between cam 11 and the notch in the ratchet-ring, onto the inner edge of said ratchet-ring, moving cam-block it" inwardly and through the medium of blocks 0 and 1) raising cam 5, so that said cam will not act upon the shanks of the short needles, thus rendering said needles, which may be supposed to comprise one-half of the needles in the circle, inoperative. It is to be under stood that the parts are so timed as to effect these changes at a time when and place where the needle-operating cams are over and acting upon the long needles, so that when the cams reach the short needles they will not aitect them in any way. Pin B, being raised to such height as to cause it to engage the lever Q in the rotation of the cam-plate, strikes and moves said lever, shifting clutch-collar K through the medium of arbor P and arm S, disengaging said clutch-collar from one pulley I and connecting it with the other, and so reversing the course of movement of the camplate. As the cam-plate moves around in a direction opposite to the arrow, Fig. 1, the pin n, which was raised after it had passed the lever f, now, while moving in the direction of the arrow, enters the Y in said lever and moves it to one side, moving one rack-bar Y outward and the other inward, the outward-moving rack-bar moving the chain \V, with which it co-operates, out through the medium of the pawl attached to its block V a distance sufficiently far to cause the connected slide X to depress one of the long needles, and the inward-moving rack-bar moving to an extent sutficient to cause the pawl on the block of its co-operating-chain to engage an advanced notch in the rack-bar. The cam-plate continuing to revolve in a direction opposite to the arrow, Fig. 1, pin Rwill be brought again into contact with lever Q, eiiecting a reversal of the direction of movement of the camplate and the movement of the lever f by pin o in a direction opposite to that it was before moved, and this operation will be kept up until ratchetring It will have been turned substantially one-halfway round, when pin 2) will ride off of cam 11 onto the face of ratchet-ring Zc, at which instant pin y in bracketmwill ride up onto cam 0. Simultaneously with this operation the arm of each pawl on the pawlcarrying blocks V, which is engaged with the teeth or notches of the rack bars will be brought into engagement with a lug 91 011 the side of the rack-bar, with the effect of reversing the position of said pawls, so that further reciprocating motion of the rack-bars will result in moving the chains back or inward and raising a needle at each inward movement. The operations will continue as before, excepting that lever f, instead of being moved by the operation of pin c thereon, will be moved through the medium of lever g, acted upon by pin g on cam o. The reason for this change in the manner of operating lever f is for the purpose of effecting the raising orbringing into operation of a needle after it has been passed by tho needle-operating cams and just before the cam-plate is reversed in its movement, and so, as it were, wrapping the yarn around the added needle, in order to effect close joinings along the line where the needles are thrown out of and brought into operation. For afullerunderstanding of this operation and its effects particular reference may be had to Figs. 1 and 1 WVhen the new or added needle 23 is brought into ac tion before the yarn-guide and needle-operating cams reach the same, the yarn will be laid upon such needle, as shown in Fig. 1, and when said new or added needle 23 is not brought into operation until after the yarnguide and needle-operating cam have passed the same, but before the cam-plate is reversed, such new needle will be projected over the yarn, so that as it comes back the yarn will be laid upon and wrapped around the needle 23, as shown in Fig. 1 The result, in the first instance, would beto leave eyelet-holes, so called, while in the latter instance close joinings will be effected. After the ratchetring has eifected a complete revolution, and is brought into the position in which it is represented in Fig. 1, it may be supposed that chains W will have been moved fullyinward by the action of the rack-bars upon their attached pawls, the rounded part Z of block it will have been acted upon by cam n to depress cam 5 through the medium of the described inter-mediate devices, pins R, c, and y will have been depressed, pin m drawn down, and the knitting of a heel or toe completed, when the cam-plate will be revolved to effect the knittingof tubular work. Upon the chains being moved fully in, as before explained,the arms of the pawls a in engagement with the teeth or notches of the rackbars will be brought into contact with lugs similar to lug 83, on the opposite sides of the rack-bars, with the effect of reversing the position of the pawls, or, in other words, moving the pawls to their first-mentioned position.

The means whereby pin m is automatically raised will next be explained.

On shaft H is a pinion ct", meshing with and operating a gear I), supported on a stud connected with a bracket f, attached to the frame of the machine, which gear I) is provided on one side with a cam c" and on the other side with a cam 01.

e designates a lever pivoted to the bracket f which lever is provided on its free end with a bowl g arranged to rest upon the cam c", and it may be held thereagainst by a spring e.' To the free end of lever e" is pivoteda pawl h", which rests upon the ratchet-wheels 1"j", the former of which is fast on the arbor 76', while the latter turns loosely thereon. To one side of the ratchetwheel j is secured a sprocket-Wheel Z, car- -rying an endless chain m", provided with a laterally-proj ectin g pin n". Secured to arbor 7a and alongside of sprocket-wheel Z is a disk 0", provided on its periphery with a radially-projecting pin 19, which pin 13 is adapted in the revolution of chain m, to be engaged by the laterally-projecting pin 17. on the chain, and so carry said disk and ratchet-wheel 2' around therewith. Secured to the opposite end of arbor 7c is a disk q, having a notch or depression 0" in its periphery, and upon this disk rests the free end of a lever 8, provided with a toe or projection t at the point where it rides on the disk (1".

u is a rod or strip connecting pin m with lever s. when the toe t of lever s" rests in the notch or depression 7" of disk q" pin m will be drawn down; but when disk q" is revolved, so as to bring the toe t on the highest part of the periphery of said disk, the pin m will be raised, and to properly time the operation of diskq is the purpose of the mechanism just previously described.

Ratchet-wheel i", having one tooth cut away, as shown at c, Fig. 8, will not be operated by the pawl h when it reaches said mutilated tooth, and consequently arbor 7a will not be moved. Ratchet-wheel j, to which is attached sprocket-wheel Z, will, however, be moved around on arbor It and eventually bring the pin 41." of chain on into contact with pin 19 of disk 0", and so move varbor 7c and ratchet-wheel 2' that pawl 77."

will catch into the whole teeth of the same and so move said ratchet-wheel 1'", arbor 7c", and disk q".

It is of course understood that instead of providing means for automatically raising pin m said pin might be raised and lowered by hand, and, indeed, all of the pins connected with or operated by the ratchet-ring may be placed in operative position, removed, or adjust-ed by hand.

a designates a disk secured to arbor k, which disk is provided on its periphery with cams b and c, and d designates an angular lever fulcru'med on a stationary part of the machine, and extending around the gear b and outward toward or over the disk a'. A slide 0 is arranged beneath lever 61', so as to have a limited movement thereunder, slots f being for this purpose formed in said lever, and the shanks of headed screws 9 passed through said slots and screwed into the slide.

h designates a lever fulcrumed at t to the side of the slide and provided at its forward end with a laterally-projecting pin 3'', which rests upon the periphery of the disk a. The opposite end of lever h is notched to adapt it to engage a pin k' 011 the end of lever d and hold the slide 6' out against the stress of a spring Z, one end of which is connected with the lever and the other with the slide.

When the arbor 7c" is revolved, the disk a? will be operated in like manner until one of the earns 17' or c is brought into contact It will now be understood that with the pin 3'' of lever h when said lever will be moved on its fulcrum so as to disengage its notched end from pin ls of levert allowing the spring Z to move the slide 6' inward to a position where it will be struck by cam c in the rotation of gear I), moving the lever 72/ to one side, as from the full to the dotted line position, Fig. 9, by which operation the pin m in said lever, acting upon the inclined sides of the forked end of arm or finger T, will move said arm to the position in which it is represented in said lastmentioned figure, the result of which will be to operate arbor P, so as to cause arm S to move clutclrcollar K to a position intermediate of the pulleys I I and disengage it from both, thus stopping the machine. This stopping of the machine is desirable at times, as when the knitting of a heel or toe is to be commenced and when such work is completed, the cam b being for the first-mentioned purpose and cam 0 for the latter..

It is obvious that various changes may be made in the form and arrangements of parts comprising my improvements without departing from the nature or spirit thereof.

Having described my improvements, I declare that what I claim is- 1. The combination, with the needle-bed and needles D E, of the eam-plate provided with needle'operating cams 2 3 4 5 6 7, ratchetring 70, supported on the cam-plate and provided on its inner edge with a notch, cam a, block is, provided with the stud Z, adapted to rest against the inner edge of the ratchetring and be operated by said cam n,connections, substantially as setforth, between block 7t and cam 5, and means for operating the cam-plate and ratchet-ring, as set forth.

2. A rotary cam-plate, a needle-bed, two

sets of needles I) E, the former set provided with extensions or tails, movable chains supported by the bed and adapted to form a support for the tails of the needles, grooved or slotted slides attached to the said chains to engage the tails of said needles to lower or depress the same, brackets upon which said chains maybe moved and guided from and to the bed, a pawl connected with each of said chains, rack-bars for engaging said pawls, le-

ver 6, connected with said rack-bars, lever f, connected at its outer end with lever c and extending over the cam-plate, lever g, fulcrumed upon said bracket, pivotally connected with lever f, and also extending over the cam-plate, and pins which may be arranged in the cam-plate to engage said 1e vers f and g, as set forth.

3. The combination, with the needlebed, needles, and rotary cam-plate, of a rotary arbor H, a gear connecting said arbor with said cam-plate, pulleys I I, loose on said arbor, aclutch member splined on said arbor to be moved longitudinally thereon but to rotate therewith, arms or levers Q S and their arbor P, a ratchet=ring on the camplate, and means for moving it, a cam 011 said ratchet-ring, a lever r, fulcrnmed on the camplate and provided on one end with a pin resting on said cam and connected at the other end with a vertically-arranged pin, and a spring for pressing said vertically-arranged pin upward, as set forth.

at. A rotary cam-plate, a needle-bed, two sets of needles D E, the former set provided with extensions or tails, movable chains supported by the bed and adapted to form a support for the tails of the needles, grooved or slotted slides attached to the said chains to engage the tails of said needles to lower or depress the same, brackets upon which said chains may be moved and guided from and to the bed, a pawl connected with each of said chains, rack-bars for engaging said pawls,

lever 6, connected with said rack-bars, lever f, connected at its outer end with lever e, and extending over the cam-plate, lever g, fulcrum ed upon said bracket, pivotally connected with lever f, and also extending over the camplate, a ratchet-ring arranged on the camplate and provided with cams n 0, means for moving said ratchet-ring, pins arranged to travel on said cams and on the face of the ratcl1et-ring, and springs for pressing said pins downward, as set forth.

5. The combination, with the needle-bed, needles, and cam-plate, of a ratchet-ring on said cam-plate, a lever pivoted upon the cam plate and provided with a pawl. to engage the ratchet-ring, a verticallymiovable pin m to engage and move said lever, a rotary arbor, a, cam on said arbor, a lever resting on said can1,a connectingbar between said lastmentioned lever and pin, whereby the latter may be raised and lowered, a driving-shaft, and connections between the driving-shaft and cam-plate and between the driving-shaft and rotary arbor, whereby they may be oper-- ated, as set forth.

6. The combination, with the needle-bed, needles, and cam-plate, of a ratchetring on said cam plate, a lever pivoted upon the cam-plate and provided with a pawl to engage the ratchet-ring, a vertically-movable pin m to engage and move said lover, a rotary arbor, a cam on said arbor, a lever resting on said cam, a connecting-bar between said lastmentioned lever and pin, ratchet-Wheel '6, having one tooth cut away, secured to said arbor, ratchet-wheel j", loose on said arbor, sprocket-wheel Z secured to ratchet wheelj chain at" on said sprocket-wheel, and provided with the pin it, disk- 0", provided with pin 19", fast on said arbor, a pawl engaging said ratchet-wheels, a driving-shaft, and c0nnections between said driving-shaft and camplate and between the driving-shaft and pawl for operating the same, as set forth.

7. The combination, with needle-bed, needles, and cam-plate, of a rotary arbor H,a gear connecting said arbor with said camplate, pulleys I I, loose on said arbor, a clutch member spiined on said arbor to be moved In testimony whereoflhave signed my name longitudinally thereon but to rotate thereto this specification, in the presence of two IO Wit-h, arbor P, and its arms S T, years a and subscribing Witnesses, this 10th day of Janub", the latter provided With cam 01", arbor 7c", ary, A. D. 1889.

and means to rotate it from gearb, disk 0/, XVALTER H. STEWART. provided with cams b 0", lever d, pro- Witnesses:

vided with pin m',springl, slide 8', and ARTHUR W. GRossLEY,

lever h, as set forth. PHILIP EMERSON. 

